1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of aircraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vertical take-off and landing aircraft that transports a passenger in an upright position during flight.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been numerous efforts to design a reliable personal or single passenger aircraft that transports a passenger easily and safely from one location to another. Unfortunately, past single-passenger aircraft designs are impractical for everyday type use by the average person. Past designs also suffer from other drawbacks, such as the use of hazardous fuel, the consumption of a great amount of storage space, or they suffer from unstable and unsafe flight characteristics.
For example, one type of design comprises a conventional type of aircraft having a propulsion device, such as a fan unit, and a plurality of flight surfaces, such as wings, extending outwardly therefrom. Such aircraft are large and bulky and are generally not suitable for quick transportation from one location to another. These types of aircraft generally require long landing and take off strips that consume large amounts of land space. Additionally, such aircraft are generally difficult to control during flight, requiring the pilot to become well-versed in the flight mechanics of the aircraft. This makes these aircraft unsuitable for the quick traversing of great distances and, therefore, impractical for day-to-day travel.
Another type of design consists of a xe2x80x9cflightpackxe2x80x9d comprised of a small structure that fits on or around the torso of the pilot. The flight pack designs typically include propulsion devices, such as propellers, jets, or rockets, that are supported by the pilot""s torso. While these flightpacks are small and require little take-off and landing space, they are unfortunately generally unstable and dangerous during flight and therefore unsafe for the general population. The high likelihood of the passenger losing control of such aircraft is a strong drawback. One additional drawback of current flightpacks is that the passenger is typically required to support the heavy airframe on his or her back, which is highly uncomfortable. Alternatively, the passenger may be required to orient himself in awkward positions during flight which makes the use of such aircraft uncomfortable and impractical.
Another drawback of current personal aircraft designs is that they are generally powered using complex, aircraft-type engine structures which require expensive and highly volatile aircraft fuel for operation. These engines are also loud which makes use of these aircraft in populated areas very inefficient.
There is therefore a need for a single passenger aircraft that is more practical in use than past designs.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the present invention which relates to an aircraft which is configured to accommodate a single passenger. The aircraft is comprised of an airframe that supports the passenger in an upright position. The airframe advantageously maintains the pilot in the same upright orientation during both take-off and landing and during flight. This increases the comfort level of the pilot during operation of the aircraft and provides an advantageously unobstructed field of vision. The single passenger aircraft is stable during flight and relatively compact in size to reduce the amount of required storage space when the aircraft is not in use. Additionally, because the aircraft is a vertical take-off and landing craft, it does not require large amounts of take-off and landing space.
In a preferred embodiment, a pair of propulsion devices, such as high-powered fan units, are attached to the airframe above the level of the pilot for providing lift and propulsion to the aircraft. The propulsion devices are desirably configured to be tilted to vary the direction of thrust to thereby control the aircraft during flight. Preferably, a single engine is mounted on the airframe for driving the propulsion devices via a powertrain system comprised of a drive shaft that extends along the body line of the pilot. The engine is desirably disposed on the airframe behind and slightly below the level of the pilot for facilitating a centered and relatively low center of gravity position.
The aircraft also includes a control and stability system preferably comprised of a set of hand-operated control devices that allow the pilot to vary the orientation and power of the propulsion devices. In one embodiment, the control device comprises a main control bar that may raised or lowered to collectively tilt the propulsion devices. A pair of small hand controls are mounted on the main control bar for providing additional control over the propulsion devices. One of the hand controls is preferably used for both collectively and differentially tilting the fan units to thereby vary the direction of thrust and control the direction of flight. The other hand grip desirably controls the engine throttle. Desirably, the pilot may shift his or her weight port or starboard to induce moments on the aircraft and thereby provide additional control over the aircraft.
The aircraft takes-off and lands vertically to eliminate the need for landing strips. Additionally, the airframe has a relatively small footprint so that ground storage space is minimized. The aforementioned features combine to make the aircraft practical for everyday use.
In one aspect of the invention, there is disclosed a single passenger, vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising an airframe configured to support a pilot in an upright position, the airframe being symmetric about a medial plane; a pair of propulsion devices mounted on an upper end of the airframe above the pilot, the propulsion devices each being rotatable about a common axis of rotation; an engine mounted on the airframe adjacent the pilot, the engine being drivingly coupled to each of the propulsion devices; and a movable control arm on the airframe, the control arm being mechanically coupled to the propulsion devices so that the propulsion devices rotate about the common axis in response to movement of the control arm.
The aircraft is a convenient and safe means of transporting a single passenger between locations. The single passenger aircraft is stable during flight and extremely compact in size so that the aircraft footprint and the necessary amount of ground storage space is minimal. The natural, upright position of the pilot during flight and small level of take-off and landing space make the aircraft ideal for day-to-day use.